Self-reported use of marijuana by high-school students is significantly lower today than it was 15 years ago, according to an analysis of CDC data published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore assessed data compiled by US Center for Disease Control’s National Youth Risk Behavior Survey for the years 1999 to 2013. The Survey is a biennial school-based evaluation of more than 100,000 high-schoolers nationwide.

Investigators reported that lifetime use of cannabis fell during this period. The percentage of respondents reporting monthly marijuana consumption and/or use any use of cannabis prior to age 13 also declined.

“People have been very quick to say that marijuana use is going up and up and up in this country, particularly now that marijuana has become more normalized,” study leader Renee M. Johnson, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor in the Department of Mental Health at the Bloomberg School said in a press release. “What we are seeing is that … the rates of marijuana use have actually fallen.”

The study is the latest in a series of recent evaluations — including this one here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here — concluding that changes in state marijuana policies are not associated with increased marijuana use by young people.

Moreover, just-released results from a separate University of Texas study assessing trends in the disapproval of marijuana by young people also reports “a significant increase in the proportion of youth (age 12 to 14) reporting ‘strong disapproval’ of marijuana use initiation over the last decade.” Similar to the findings of prior studies, the paper also reports that teens’ lifetime and past year use of marijuana has declined significantly over the past decade.

See what happens? Make something mainstream, approved of by parents, good and healthy and teenagers want nothing to do with it… The rebels have nothing to rebel against. “What? I have to call my Congressman? Yeah, Dad, right after I clean my room.”

Seriously, I think that marijuana doesn’t have to be used quite that often to get what most teens are looking for out of it. I just hope the message is getting out about opiates, heroin and prescription meds…

Response to Julian:
Sadly, i don’t think the general public wants to do anything about the opiate/heroin epidemic except sweep it under the rug. There was a story a few months back where people in Anne Arundel county “successfully” stopped a treatment center from being built. Their reasoning was that it was too close to their neighborhood and they “didn’t want that stuff in their neighborhood”. Trust me…it’s already there people.

because more youth would rather pop a pill than put smoke in there lungs but what the youth doesn’t understand is that these quick effect pills are ruining there kidneys, livers and stomachs way quicker than smoke does the lungs. American living is more backwards than any third world region but you wouldn’t know that because a doctor and an article is fact for you but everything in america is biased to benefit the producer not the consumer

Hardly mentioned probable number one cause of cannabis decline among youth: recent ongrowth of the DRUG TEST TERROR industry! Metabolites can be “discovered” weeks after use, dooming your admission to (A) high class university (B) awarding high class diploma (C) guaranteeing high-pay entry job and (D) fast career escalator.

If youngster isn’t scared by that, his/her parents are, and easily persuaded to use any JFT justified family terror to prevent his/her Earnings during their remaining lifetime from being impacted (one green mark on your record could mean you make a million le$$ bucks in the first 20 years than Johnny down the street did).

Another major factor: the in-loco-parentis professor/teacher (what percent of them?) who on knowledge or suspicion that some youngster uses cannabis, will give that youngster a LOWER GRADE… contributing to grade-point degradation amounting to a lower paycheck in first job after graduation, etc. etc., downward slope into shame and poverty. Be careful about loose talk, like admitting to anyone that you use, or approve… word might get around to Mr. H…..